A variety of freight (from small boxes to the large materials and products on skids) is transported throughout the world, utilizing aircraft as a primary shipping carrier. Typically the freight is picked-up by a shippers employee, loaded onto a truck, and then transported to receiving and shipping facilities where the articles of freight are sorted, combined in Unit Load Devices (ULDs), and loaded into aircraft that transport the packages and freight either directly to or toward their ultimate destination, or to one or more intermediate facilities. At intermediate facilities, the freight is unloaded and sorted again and then combined and loaded onto another aircraft, or other large transportation vehicles such as a train or truck. Small articles of freight such as packages and boxes often are unloaded, sorted, and reloaded by hand, while larger articles of freight, particularly freight on skids, are typically loaded and unloaded by forklift trucks. They also can be transported by conveyors. The packages and freight often are ultimately transported by truck to the final destination.
The customers whose freight is shipped generally pay for the shipping service, based on the weight and size of the freight and the distance the freight is shipped, among other factors. There has been and is a need to efficiently collect and keep data regarding the freight and to optimize the sorting and loading of the freight throughout the shipping process.
Typically, freight to be shipped is ultimately packed in Unit Load Devices (ULDs) which, in turn, are loaded onto and unloaded from aircraft. Large items of freight are loaded and unloaded from ULDs by forklift trucks, based on the operator's individual training and experience. If these ULDs are not loaded efficiently, they are not loaded as fully as possible, resulting in wasted space and money. If the weight of the freight or its dimensions are not accurately determined, billing information is incorrect. In addition, the current measurement systems of the dimensions of an article of freight are often time consuming and inexact. These problems are further complicated by the fact that shippers normally have a limited amount of time to unload, sort, measure, and load freight, in view of the expedited nature of the requested shipping service.
At present, the loading and unloading of freight, the weighing and measuring of freight, and the loading and unloading of ULDs is performed based upon the individual training and expertise of the particular person or persons loading the ULDs. The present invention is directed to methods and systems designed to increase the efficiency of the loading and billing process and make it more uniform.